Thread-exchanging device for knitting machines



June 14, 1955 PlLTz 2,710,529

THREAD-EXCHANGING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 12, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ivwantfi ;V I I I MM mm June 14, 1955 PILTZ 2,710,529

Tl-IREAD-EXCHANGING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ma 1% MB N W m United States Patent O THREAD-EXCHANGING DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Erich Piltz, Markdorf, Germany, assignor to Willy Werner Lenkeit, Markdorf, Baden, Germany Application November 12, 1953, Serial No. 391,653

Claims priority, application Germany May 13, 1953 9 Claims. (Cl. 66-127) My invention relates to hand-operated knitting machines of the known type which has an about horizontal needle bed, knitting needles positioned aside of each other, a lock operating the needles by moving across their longitudinal direction and a thread guide connected with the look by a holding arm.

It is sometimes desired to use different threads alternately in the production of a knitted piece, for example threads of difierent color, of different thickness or of different material, in order to produce certain designs. Hitherto this could be done on machines of the mentioned type only by interrupting the knitting operation each time when the thread should be exchanged and by threading the new thread manually. Objects of my invention are to facilitate the alternate use of different threads on machines of the mentioned type, to avoid interruption of the knitting operation by manual threading, and thereby to expedite the production of knitted goods showing designs.

Other objects are to provide a thread-exchanging device that can be easily attached to a machine of the mentioned type, preferably to its lock or to the holder of the thread guide, to incorporate a plurality of thread-conducting elements in this device, each of which is movable into an operative position in which the element supplies a thread to the thread guide, and to move these elements alternately into this operative position.

For example, two or more thread-conducting elements formed by bent tubes may be turnable, preferably about a common axis, between operative and inoperative positions. Further objects are to derive this movement of all elements from one setting device in such a manner that, when one element is moved into operative position, the other element or elements are automatically moved into inoperative position, and to provide this setting device with a handle for convenient operation.

Still other objects are to arrange the operative position of the thread-conducting elements over the thread guide so that the thread emerging from the operative element is readily engaged by this guide, to arrange the inoperative position under the level of the needles,'to move the threadconducting elements through the space between two neighboring needles when these elements exchange their positions, to make possible that these elements by-pass each other during this movement, and, for this purpose, to hold these elements resiliently whereby they can evade each other when by-passing.

Still further objects are to make possible the simultaneous operation of the lock with one hand and of the thread exchange with the other hand, for this purpose to eliminate the necessity of simultaneous manual adjustment of the tension of the thread, and to regulate this tension automatically by a thread tension regulator provided for each of the exchangeable threads. Each of these regulators preferably comprises a holder or support aflixed to an end surface of the needle bed support, a brake carried by this holder, a pulley suspended in a down hanging 2,710,529 Patented June 14, 1955 carried by the holder of the regulator and converting the direction of the thread toward the thread-exchanging device.

Still other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of an exemplifying embodiment of my invention, from the appended claims and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a top view of parts of a hand-operated knitting machine and of an illustrative embodiment of my invention attached to this machine.

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a part of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, seen in the direction of the arrow II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of a thread tension regulator which is an element of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, this view being seen in the direction of the arrow III in Fig. 1. I

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of parts of the knitting machine and of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the left thread tension regulator being omitted.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 1 indicates the lock, 2 the upper level and 2a the underlying body of the needle bed and 3 the needles of a hand-operated knitting machine. The needles 3 extend aside of each other in parallel horizontal directions. The bed 20. supports the needles and forms an elongated body extending horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the needles. The lock 1 is movable in the longitudinal direction of the bed and engages the, needles operatively in known manner.

A thread guide 4 of known structure is formed by two converging prongs which are connected with the lock 1 and move with the same. This connection may be formed by a holder 5a which is afiixed to the lock and has three spaced arms extending parallel to the needles, a median arm 4:: carrying the thread guide 4 and two lateral arms 5 to which ends of a bent bar 14 are aflixed. A frame 6 is aiiixed to the central portion of the bar 14 and carries thread-conducting elements 7 which are movably connected with the frame. I

As many elements 7 are provided as there are different threads to be used in the knitting. For example, the drawing shows two elements 7, each forming a bent tube. One of these tubes is in operative position, its outlets 7b for the conducted thread'being positioned over the level of the needles 3 and of the prongs 4 so that the thread emerging and hanging down from this tube is readily'engaged by the thread guide and is supplied to the knitting needles. The other tube 7 is in inoperative position, its outletbeing positioned vertically under the outlet of the operative tube and under the level of the prongs 4 and of the needles 3. These outlets of the elements 7 are directed parallel v to the needles toward the needle bed. The elements are "so loop of the thread and loaded by a weight connected with 1- the axle of this pulley by a spring, and a pulley rotatably bent that their inlets 7a are directed opposite to each other about parallel to the needle bed.

The elements 7 can exchange their positions, each being movable between the described operative and inoperative position. Preferably, the movements of the elements 7 are so derived from one handle that one element moves automatically into inoperative position when the other element is moved into operative position and vice versa. For example, the mechanism moving the elements 7 may be constructed in the following manner:

An axle 8 is afiixed to the frame 6, extends horizontally parallel to the bed 2 and carries two sleeves 13. These sleeves surround the axle 8 rotatably whereby they form two co-axial shafts. Each shaft 13 is connected with one of the elements 7 whereby opposite rotation of the shafts 13 moves the elements 7 in opposite directions. These opposite movements are derived from a handle 9. This handle hasa shaft 10a passing rotatably through the bar 14. A disk 10 is co-axially aflixed to this shaft and provided with slots or recesses 11 extending radially at opposite sides relatively to the axis of the disk. Each of two rods or arms 12 has one end afiixed to one of the shafts 13 and another end reaching into one of the slots 11.

In a position centrally located between the operative and inoperative position, the rotary axis of the shafts '13, the rods-12 and the slots 11 extend in an about horizontal plane whereby the elements 7 can oscillate about this central position along substantially vertical arcs. During this vertical movement, the outlet ends 7b of these elements pass between two needles 3. In order to make this passage possible, the moving arcs of both elements must converge toward substantially identical spots and must give way laterally when they by-pass each other. This by-passing evasion is made possible by a resilient connection of the elements 7 with the shafts 13. For this reason, each element is connected with its carrying shaft 13 by a flat spring 13a.

The knitting process can change from one thread to another thread without interruption, the operator moving the handle 9 While continuing operating the lock 1. The necessity of adjusting the thread tension manually at the same time is avoided by providing a tension regulator 15 for each of the threads. This regulator preferably comprises a brake 16, a free suspended pulley 18 loaded by a weight 17 and a pulley 19 rotatably carried by a support bar 20 which also carries the brake 16. Preferably, the bar 20 is affixed to an end surface of the needle bed 2a, is bent into a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the bed and extends in this direction beyond the bed at a level lower than the bed level 2 whereby the regulator 15 does not interfere with the movements of the lock and of the elements operated by the lock, and is suitably positioned for supplying the respective thread to its conducting element 7.

The thread brake 16 may be adjustable and constructed in any known and suitable manner. For example, this brake comprises two cylinders 16a affixed to a common plate which is adjustably connected with the bar 20. The thread 21 is supplied from a feeder in known manner, forexample, through an eyelet 22 and is slung about the cylinders 16a in, preferably, several windings whereby the friction between the thread and the cylinders brakes the movement of the thread. Between the brake 16 and the pulley 19, the thread forms a down hanging loop in which the pulley 18 is suspended. The weight 17 is resiliently suspended on the axle of the pulley 18 by means of a coiled spring 17a, and is chosen according to the required thread tension. The thread leaves the upper rim of the pulley 19 in the direction to the inlet 7a of the respective conducting element 7.

If more than two different threads are to be used in the knitting, more than one regulator 1-5 may be affixed to the same bed side, each regulator supplying a thread to one of several elements 7 which may be arranged suitably, for example, distributed about the axle 8.

I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to the particular embodiment shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that my invention may be carried out in other ways within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particular embodiment shown and described is only one of the many that may be employed to attain the objects of my in.- vention.

I-Iaving described the nature of my invention, ,what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1- A h Ldxchanging device for .a handopera.ted knitting machine having an about horizontal needle bed,

needles on ,said bed positioned aside of .cach other, a lock movable on said bed across the longitudinal direction of said needles and a thread guide connected with said lock, said device comprising a frame afiixed to said lock, a plurality of thread-conducting elements movably carried by said frame, and means to move each of saidelements between an operative position over said thread guide and an inoperative position under the level of said needles.

2. A thread-exchanging device for a hand-operated knitting machine having an about horizontal needle bed, needles on said bed positioned aside of each other, a lock movable on said bed across the longitudinal direction of said needles and a thread guide connected with said lock, said devige comprising a frame affixed to said lock, two thread-conducting elements carried by said frame and movable between an operative position over said thread guide and an inoperative position under the level of said needles, and means simultaneously moving one of said elements into said operative position and the other element into said inoperative position.

3. A thread-exchanging device according to claim 2, said thread-conducting elements forming bent tubes.

4. A thread-exchanging device according to claim 2. said means comprising two shafts rotatably carried by said frame, one connected with one of said elements and the other with the other element, a disk rotatably connected with said frame and having two slots positioned at opposite sides of the axis of said disk, two rods, one aflixed to one of said shafts and reaching into one of said slots and the other rod aflixed to the other shaft and reaching into the other slot, and a handle operatively connected with said disk.

5. A thread-exchanging device according to claim 2, said elements having outlets having identical operative positions and about identical inoperative positions where by said outlets exchange their positions when said elements move between operative and inoperative positions, said means comprising two shafts rotatably carried by said frame, two springs, one connecting one of said shafts with one of said elements and the other spring connecting the other shaft with the other element, a disk rotatably connected with said frame and having two slots positioned at opposite sides of the axis of said disk, two rods, one affixed to one of said shafts and reaching into one of said slots and the other rod aflixed to the other shaft and reaching into the other slot, and a handle operatively connected with said disk.

6. A thread-exchanging device for a hand-operated knitting machine having an about horizontal needle bed, needles on said bed positioned aside of each other, a lock movable on said bed across the longitudinal direction of said needles, a holder atfixed to said lock and a thread guide aflixed to said holder, said device comprising a bar having ends affixed to said holder, a frame affixed to said bar, a plurality of thread-conducting elements movably carried by said frame, and means to move each of said elements between an operative position over said thread guide and an inoperative position under the level of said needles.

7. A thread-exchanging device for a hand-operated knitting machine having an elongated needle bed extending about horizontally between substantially vertical end surfaces, needles positioned on said bed across its longitudinal direction and aside of each other, a lock movable on said bed across the longitudinal direction of said needles and a thread guide connected with said lock, said device being adapted to receive two different threads, a frame affixed to said lock, two thread-conducting elements, one for each of said threads, said elements being movably carried by said frame, means to move pulley adapted to be suspended on a thread and a pulley for deflecting said thread toward one of said elements. 9. A thread-exchanging device according to claim 7,

5 6 each of said regulators comprising a support, said sup- References Cited in the file of this patent ports being attachable/to opposite end surfaces of said UNITED STATES PATENTS needle bed and extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of said bed beyond said bed at a level lower than 2O26'744 Llpplt 1936 the upper level of said bed. 5 

